Appliances, vehicles, and other devices may include at least one consumable component whose lifespan may be shorter than the overall lifespan of the device. The consumable component may be subject to wear and/or depletion over time and therefore may require periodic repair or replacement. A user may be unaware that a consumable component has reached or is approaching the end of its lifespan until the consumable component fails and the device ceases to function properly or efficiently. Moreover, it may be impractical in terms of time for a user to manually inspect the consumable component(s) of every device employed by the user.
When a consumable component fails, it often takes several days or weeks for the user to repair or replace the consumable component. Factors contributing to the delay include, but are not limited to, shipping time, unavailability of the replacement component, ordering errors, installation time, time needed to solicit bids from repair service providers, scheduling conflicts, and even, in some cases, a lack of promptness on behalf of the user in ordering the replacement component or the repair service.
A device having a consumable component in need of replacement or repair may fail at an inopportune time (e.g., a furnace whose pilot light is defective may be unable to heat a home during a severe winter storm, or a vehicle whose brake pads are severely worn may be unable to stop during a high speed maneuver, etc.). Moreover, the longer it takes to repair or replace the worn, depleted, defective, or otherwise sub-standard consumable component, the higher the risk that such an event will occur.
The elevated risk associated with a worn, depleted, defective, or otherwise sub-standard consumable component may impact an insurance policy covering, or affected by, the device incorporating the consumable component. Insurance providers generally seek to offer insurance policies that take into account the likelihood of an event triggering a recognizable loss (e.g., damage to a home or vehicle covered by the policy, injury to the policy holder, injury to others, etc.). An insurance provider therefore may have an interest in knowing whether a policy holder has repaired or replaced a worn, depleted, defective, or otherwise sub-standard consumable component of a device that is covered by, or whose failure can otherwise trigger a recognizable loss under, an insurance policy. Also, the insurance provider, as well as the policy holder, may have an interest in being made aware of the worn, depleted, defective, or otherwise sub-standard condition of a consumable component so that repair activities can be begin promptly.